Raiders keys to victory against the Steelers in 2022 Week 16
By Brad Weiss
If the Raiders hope to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16, here are their keys to victory to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Las Vegas Raiders will continue their seemingly impossible drive to the playoffs on Saturday night, as they head to a frigid Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers. Both AFC teams going into this game are technically still alive in the AFC Playoff picture sitting at 6-8, but a loss would end that dream for either team in this Week 16 battle.
Las Vegas stayed alive in the playoff race with an improbable victory over New England last Sunday, needing a last-second touchdown by none other than Chandler Jones to seal the victory. They need to win out, and then get a ton of help to make the playoff for the second year in a row, and it all starts on Christmas Eve night in the Steel City.
To win, these three things need to happen.
Raiders’ keys to victory against the Steelers in 2022 Week 16
Handle the elements
Temperatures will be in the single digits on Saturday night, and feel even colder, making this one of the coldest games in the history of Pittsburgh. Coming from Las Vegas, that could be a shock to the Silver and Black, so handling the elements will prove paramount against a Steelers team that is used to playing in the cold.
The game plan will look a lot different in this kind of weather, and it will be interesting to see which team can shake it off, and get the job done. Las Vegas needs to play more like an East Coast team if they hope to win this one.
Avoid the costly turnover
We have seen way too many turnovers as of late, and the pick-six last weekend against the New England Patriots swung all the momentum away from the Raiders. Derek Carr and the offense have to avoid that kind of mistake on Saturday, as this game could come down to which team has the ball last.
I do not foresee many points being scored, so gifting a defensive touchdown could be the difference in Week 16. If the Raiders can take care of the ball, and control the clock, they should be in good shape against a banged-up Steelers team.
Carr has to be better
The truth is, Derek Carr has not been great as of late, as he struggled in a big way against the Rams, and nearly gave the game to the Patriots last weekend. He needs to step up and show that he should be the guy under center for this franchise moving forward, as another bad outing in the cold could spell the end for him in the Silver and Black.
Carr needs to play like a Pro Bowl quarterback on Saturday night, outdueling a rookie in Kenny Pickett, who was just activated from the concussion protocol. If he plays sub-par, the Raiders may end up seeing their playoff hopes end in Pittsburgh.